Inspired by the 1945 classic Italian children’s book by Dino Buzzati, acclaimed Italian illustrator Lorenzo Mattotti brings bold colors and a graphic eye to his first feature film, a tale about friendship, tolerance, and nature.

The Annecy International Animation Film Festival is the biggest animated film festival in the world. Straight from the 2019 edition, this program of films traverses the globe with a selection of notable shorts, including three short-listed for the 2020 Academy Awards.

Based on Guillaume Laurant’s novel Happy Hand, I Lost My Body is the first animated film to win the Nespresso Grand Prize awarded by the jury of the International Critics’ Week at the Cannes Film Festival.

Made with papier-mâché puppets animated in stop motion and hand-crafted sculptures set in beautifully painted backgrounds, this delightful and delicate film introduces audiences to a fragile ecosystem through the lives of ten animals.

A follow up to director Jean-François Laguionie’s A Monkey’s Tale, this beautifully hand-drawn film with nods to classic films, enchants children and adults with its philosophical themes and sumptuous images.

A novel reinvention of a desert island story, Jean-François Laguionie’s poignant and personal allegory for aging follows Louise as she scavenges food, finds her Friday in a canine companion (voiced by Laguionie himself), eschews rescue, and reflects on her life.

See a selection of notable student shorts from France’s top animation schools—Gobelins – School l’image, EMCA, ENSI, MoPA, and others—showcasing the country’s emerging talent.

Based on Yasmina Khadra’s eponymous best-selling novel, this critically acclaimed film brings to life through shimmering watercolor-style animation the brutality of life under the Taliban regime.

Paris-based production company Autour de Minuit has been responsible for some of the most imaginative and original animated and graphic projects over the past two decades. This eclectic program, organized by head of distribution Annabel Sebag, introduces audiences to some of the producer’s greatest hits.

Brilliantly told through vibrant colors and dazzling animation, this charming tale follows Marona, a small Labrador mix with a big heart, on her adventures as she meets and is adopted by fascinating characters.

For his first feature film, Jean-François Laguionie created a starkly beautiful post-apocalyptic desert where items from past civilizations drop out of the sky. Recently restored to preserve Laguionie’s lush, painterly images, this ecological parable casts two female characters as powerful instruments of change.

Spanning works from 1964 to 1978, all recently restored and digitized, this program delves into the singular imagination of a visionary filmmaker Jean-François Laguionie.

See some of the best animated shorts from the past year. The program will feature all the finalists in the Best Animated Short category of 2020 César Awards, France’s equivalent to the Oscars, alongside other notable films.

This acclaimed and breathtaking documentary, spanning 850 years, traces the fascinating story of the Notre-Dame de Paris from its visionary beginnings through the tragic fire of April 16, 2019.

Film editor Benjamin Massoubre will discuss his collaboration with director Jérémy Clapin and his role in shaping the award-winning film I Lost My Body (2019), as well as the stakes in editing in the animation industry.

In this special conversation, Jean-François Laguionie, Animation First’s Guest of Honor, will discuss his rich body of work as a visual artist, writer, and filmmaker over the course of his 50-year career.

In Brazen, directors Phuong Mai Nguyen and Charlotte Cambon de Lavalette adapt the best-selling graphic novel by Penelope Bagieu, which shines light on 30 women—some well-known and others less so—whose determination, boldness, and strength changed the times and societies in which they lived.

Director Jérémie Périn (Lastman), screenwriter Laurent Sarfati, and producer Didier Crest present the process behind their forthcoming feature, Mars Express.

In this career-spanning discussion, Lorenzo Mattotti discusses his work, from his iconic magazine illustrations to his transition to the silver screen with New Yorker art editor Françoise Mouly.

This discussion will bring together women from a variety of perspectives, who are currently working in animation in Europe. They will discuss the state of the industry, what is currently at stake for women, and challenges that lie ahead.

Italian illustrator and graphic novel author Lorenzo Mattotti is best known in the US for the enchanting cover images that he has been creating for The New Yorker since 1995. FIAF’s exhibition will give audiences a chance to rediscover the artist’s astute eye, virtuosic compositions and wry sense of humour.

Experience virtual reality films and video games from French studios like Atlas V and Cinétivé, as well as distributors such as the Franco-German channel Arte.

Create a VR film during 45-minute hands-on workshops using the latest technology, led by New York Institute of Technology faculty and staff.

View works by students from Angoulême-based EMCA, one of the top animation schools in France. Each work is a three-panel comic strip containing a hidden scenario revealed via an app.

In this charming movie animated in sumptuous style, the world is an unfinished canvas populated by characters who go in search of their creator. This briskly paced French production tackles themes of identity and creativity.